Awakenings from Then ’til Now allows you to Embrace Your Past, Empower the Present, Enrich Your Future.

Welcome to Awakenings

Life IS history in the making. Every word we say, everything we do becomes history the moment it is said or done. Life void of memories leaves nothing but emptiness. For those who might consider history boring, think again: It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. We are certainly individuals in our thoughts and deeds but we all germinated from seeds planted long, long ago.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Back in the Spirits!

With the holiday season comes times for celebration with party after party being in full swing. Along with the party mode, '﻿spirits' flow...holiday cocktails, festive punch, spiced ciders, all of which might possibly be spiked with vodka, rum or other alcoholic beverage of choice. (See recipes below.) There was a time when the partying in America came to an abrupt halt, in respect to serving alcohol, that is. Here is a step back in time to the era of prohibition, why it was initiated, its effects during the prohibition years and the return of happy days when it ended on this day in history.

The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified,
repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end
to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America.
Photo Credit: mosbergowners

December 5, 1933 was the end of an America gone dry but how did it all begin?

﻿﻿﻿By 1830, the average American over 15 years old consumed nearly seven gallons of pure alcohol a year – three times as much as we drink today – and alcohol abuse (primarily by men) was wreaking havoc on the lives of many, particularly in an age when women had few legal rights and were utterly dependent on their husbands for sustenance and support. . .

. . .At 12:01 A.M. on January 17, 1920, the amendment went into effect and Prohibitionists rejoiced that at long last, America had become officially, and (they hoped) irrevocably, dry. But just a few minutes later, six masked bandits with pistols emptied two freight cars full of whiskey from a rail yard in Chicago, another gang stole four casks of grain alcohol from a government bonded warehouse, and still another hijacked a truck carrying whiskey.And that was just the beginning...

Americans were about to discover that making Prohibition the law of the land had been one thing; enforcing it would be another.During Prohibition...The Prohibition era lasted from 1920 through 1933, and was an attempt to legislate morality. It took a Constitutional amendment to enact it, and another one to repeal it. The attempt to decrease the "evils" of alcohol actually created more - and new - types of crime. Read MORE about The Prohibition Era...

America Goes Dry: Triumph and Tragedy

Detroit police inspecting equipment

found in a clandestine underground brewery during the Prohibition era.

Picture courtesy of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

People of New York are celebrating the end of the Prohibition with beer.
Photograph. 1933.
Photo by Imagno/Getty Images

On December 5, 1933, the 18th amendment died! This is the only constitutional amendment that has been repealed by another amendment. On this day in history the 21st amendment was ratified and Prohibition officially ended. The day has since been known as Repeal Day carrying with it legalization of the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Interesting fact... The first legal bottle of beer produced by
Washington's Abner Drury Brewery was delivered to President Roosevelt at
the White House shortly after midnight on April 14, 1933 and stored in
the President's pantry because he was still asleep.

After the repeal of the 18th Amendment,
some states continued Prohibition by maintaining statewide temperance laws.
Mississippi, the last dry state in the Union, ended Prohibition in 1966.
Photo Credit: mosbergowners

As with any party, there is always a choice whether to serve or indulge in alcoholic vs. non-alcoholic beverages during the holidays. Should your inclination be toward the alcoholic beverages always remember to drink responsibly AND don't drink and drive. The life you save may be your own but it also may be the life of another!

PLEASE TWEET THIS PAGE TO HELP IT GROW!

Daily blessings to all my visitors!

I SUPPORT. . .

Followers

Google+ Followers

Networked Blogs

facebook

Join my Network

Pinterest

Workface

About Me

Sharla is a graduate of Troy State University and an educator with a flair for writing in poetic verse. Her latest book, Awakenings from Then ’til Now is available from Tate Publishing. It is dedicated to those who laid the foundation and established the platform for our American freedom: those who have served in the past, presently serve, or will serve our military forces in the future. A profound appreciation is extended for the sacrifice of these brave men and women who left or will leave their homes and family to ensure America’s freedom endures.

A grave price is being paid every moment of every day of the year for all the freedom America has to offer. Let us not forget those who have fought or are fighting for our nation; they are the epitome of the human spirit called freedom!